ITC judge finds for Samsung over Spansion

SAN FRANCISCO—An administrative law judge with the U.S. International Trade Commission issued an initial determination Friday (Oct. 22) finding that Samsung Electronics Co. Ltd. did not violate flash memory patents held by Spansion Inc.

Spansion (Sunnyvale, Calif.) first filed a complaint with the ITC against Samsung and several other companies in November 2008. The company has since filed other actions against Samsung with the ITC and U.S. District Court in Delaware. The Spansion patents named in these suits involve floating-gate technology in flash memory designs.

In 2009, Samsung agreed to pay $70 million to Spansion to settle the dispute. The agreement was rejected by a bankruptcy court judge presiding over Spansion's Chapter 11 bankruptcy proceedings.

In the initial determination Friday, ITC Administrative Law Judge Charles Bullock ruled that Samsung's products do not violate two Spansion patents at issue. Bullock also found that several claims of one Spanion patent, U.S. patent No. 5,715,194, are invalid.

Bullock's initial determination is subject to review by the full body of the ITC. A final determination by the ITC on this matter is not expected for several months.